One year after it first launched, dungeon crawler and word puzzler Cryptmaster has been given a special anniversary present. The bold RPG won my heart in 2024 with a similar confidence in its silliness to that of this year's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and deploying unique exploration and battle mechanics that bring typing, logic, and strategy together in glorious harmony. It won't suit everyone, but its 95%-positive Steam rating shows that, if it clicks for you, there's a lot to love. Now, developers Paul Hart and Lee Williams have deployed a big celebratory overhaul, giving me one more reason to convince you to try it.
If The Witcher 3 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have taught us anything, it's that every great Cryptmaster, that game is 'Whatever,' and it's a fun but pretty basic distraction to the game's main progression of adventuring through dungeons and traveling across the surface of its fantasy world as a group of undead heroes. Now, though, Whatever has been dramatically upgraded into a fully fledged activity in its own right, with more than 100 new cards opening up all manner of strategies and combos.
Much like the core game, Whatever is played by typing out specific letters on your keyboard. Rather than firing off attacks and skills the way key presses do in regular gameplay, here you must activate cards in your hands by matching the letters along the top of each one. With so many new cards to choose from, offering various options for dealing damage, healing yourself, or applying other effects such as increasing your hand size, you'll have plenty of opportunity to adjust your strategy by tweaking your deck between games.
Alongside this come two new NPCS, the Highwayman and Innkeeper. "They are friendly, I promise, they just want to play Whatever," the announcement teases. You can visit The Tavern to take part in Whatever tournaments, but there's even more on offer in this update than just cards. Rumors abound of a new graveyard in Downwood, and there's a dangerous enemy type on the loose to watch out for, Piskies.
As much as I adore the classic grid-based exploration of Cryptmaster, it can be easy to get a little lost, especially as things expand. Now, you can expand out to a world map that shows exactly what area you are in. There's also been a graphics overhaul, ensuring your adventures look more pristine than ever before.
The Cryptmaster Anniversary update is out now. You'll find the game on Steam priced $24.99 / £20.99. Alternatively, the free demo first to get a taste of what's in store. A short jaunt through its opening areas will quickly let you know if its distinctive tone and clever keyboard mechanics are to your tastes.
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